The Bulls had reportedly been seeking first-round picks in exchange for players like Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott prior to the trade deadline, but instead they sent both Gibson and McDermott to the Thunder – along with a second-rounder – for a package headlined by point guard Cameron Payne. As Shams Charania of The Vertical writes, the Bulls paid a hefty price for Payne, who is now hoping he can deliver on the team’s belief in him, calling the move to Chicago a “blessing in disguise.”
“It’s going to take time, but I want to be the guy for the Bulls’ future,” Payne told Charania. “I felt like OKC wanted something else, and I’m happy that Chicago felt the need to come trade for me. With what they gave up to get me, it meant a lot.”
Let’s round up a few more items from around the Central division…
- Within the piece linked above, Charania also notes that the Bulls had “several serious discussions” about trading Nikola Mirotic prior to the deadline, and were seeking a first-round pick in return. Ultimately, Chicago hung onto Mirotic, and now the team will have to see if it can hang onto him in restricted free agency this July.
- With the Knicks in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Derrick Rose acknowledged that the Bucks are somewhat intriguing as a potential free agent destination this summer, given Milwaukee’s proximity to his hometown and his family in Chicago. Marc Berman of The New York Post has the details, along with the quotes from Rose.
- Speaking to reporters for the first time since going down with a torn ACL last month, Bucks forward Jabari Parker said today that he believes he can come back even stronger, according to Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I don’t want to be the same player,” said Parker, who is still on crutches. “I wouldn’t be myself if I don’t challenge myself to do better things, bigger things. … I know I can be better.” Parker, who said he hopes to play 40 or 50 games this season, will be eligible for an extension later this year, as I discussed earlier today.
Mirotic sucks. Let him go
Why would the Bucks want Rose? he might want to go there, but, I doubt Milwaukee would actually want him there. As far as Parker coming back strong, Heard it all before, Then he injured the same leg again, Everything he just stated , He stated before. At 22 he’s becoming very brittle! Play T. Jones more, 6’9″ 250 and 25 yrs. old. Cut Teletovic, Henson, and Vaughn!
At this point, if the Bulls’ GM, I just try to trade him for a 2nd round pick. 2nd round picks are essentially useless, but it’s worth it to dump that bloated, almost 6M per year salary. They aren’t going to get much else for this guy. Maybe a change of scenery will benefit him.
The Bulls should bring back Rose, fire Hoiberg and forget what Butler thinks about Rose. Jimmy is nice but he’s always due to get injured every year
And Rose isn’t?